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"Essays on the Western Expedition" is a collection of notes written by the Qing Dynasty scholar Wang Jingqi during his westward journey in the second year of Yongzheng (1724). The book has a total of more than 35,000 words. It uses the author's journey from Hebei to Xi'an, Shaanxi Province as a clue, and interweaves the experiences, interactions with people, social scenes, historical events, etc. Along the way into a chapter. The content is extensive, the writing style is delicate, and it is both documentary and literary. The book contains a variety of literary styles such as letters, prefaces and postscripts, biographies, miscellaneous observations, and political commentary. There are profound exposures to the ecology of the officialdom and official corruption (such as "Qian Tongzheng Notes" and "Xi'an Official Governance"), as well as vivid descriptions of folk suffering and social customs (such as "The Biography of Buguang" and "The Story of Three Women from Hongshi Village"); There are commentaries on historical events (such as "The Death of Zhou Zhong and Xiang Yu" and "Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun"), as well as essays on poetry, customs, and anecdotes (such as "Preface to the Collection of Poems by Zhu Hanyuan Changwuzi" and "Women's Foot Binding"). With keen observation and critical spirit, the author recorded a large number of social realities in the early years of Yongzheng, especially the description of people's livelihood, military and official administration in the northwest region, which has important historical value. Wang Jingqi's writing style is straightforward, full of emotion, sometimes impassioned, sometimes humorous, showing the knowledge and sentiments of the Qing Dynasty scholars. Chapters such as "A Meritorious Officer Cannot Do" in the book attracted widespread attention in later generations because of their sharp discussions and pointed out the current ills. However, precisely because of the many criticisms and satires on current affairs in the article, the book was banned during the Yongzheng period, and the author Wang Jingqi was also convicted.